Last updated: October 20, 2026
Academic Writing Task 1 asks you to describe charts, graphs, and tables. These words help you describe trends, compare figures, and avoid repeating “increase” and “decrease”.
Each word below has a short meaning and an example sentence written for IELTS. The first six are the core words from our IELTS academic vocabulary list, and the other 24 build your range further. Use them in your essays and in your Speaking Part 3 answers.
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Core Describing Data Words
Start with these six. They come up again and again in IELTS questions on this topic.
Fluctuate
To rise and fall irregularly.
- Sales fluctuated between 20 and 30 million units over the decade.
Plummet
To fall very quickly.
- The number of visitors plummeted in 2020.
Surge
A sudden large increase.
- There was a surge in online shopping in the final quarter.
Plateau
To stay at the same level after rising or falling.
- Car ownership rose steadily before it plateaued at around 60%.
Account for
To form a particular amount of a total.
- Coal accounted for almost half of electricity production.
Proportion
A part of a total, often a percentage.
- A higher proportion of women than men used public transport.
24 More Describing Data Words
Once you know the core words, these help you add precision and avoid repeating yourself.
Peak
To reach the highest point.
- Sales peaked at 5 million units in 2015.
Dip
A small, temporary fall.
- There was a slight dip in visitor numbers in June.
Soar
To rise very quickly to a high level.
- Online sales soared during the period.
Decline
To fall gradually.
- The number of smokers declined steadily over the decade.
Rebound
To rise again after a fall.
- Tourist numbers rebounded the following year.
Remain stable
To stay at about the same level.
- Prices remained stable throughout the period.
A steady increase
A regular, continuous rise.
- There was a steady increase in car ownership.
A sharp drop
A sudden, large fall.
- A sharp drop in exports followed the crisis.
Marginally
By a very small amount.
- Women earned marginally more than men in this sector.
Significantly
By a large amount.
- Spending on healthcare rose significantly.
Respectively
In the same order as the things just mentioned.
- Men and women spent 3 and 4 hours online a day respectively.
Overall trend
The general direction in which figures change.
- The overall trend was clearly upward.
Exceed
To be greater than a number or amount.
- Demand exceeded supply for the first time in 2018.
In comparison with
When compared to.
- In comparison with 1990, far more people owned a car in 2020.
The majority
Most of a group.
- The majority of respondents preferred shopping online.
A minority
A small part of a group.
- Only a minority of students walked to school.
Approximately
Close to an exact figure but not exactly.
- Approximately one third of electricity came from coal.
Double
To become twice as large.
- The population doubled between 1950 and 2000.
Halve
To reduce something by half.
- The number of cinema visits halved over the decade.
Outnumber
To be greater in number than another group.
- Female students outnumbered male students in every year.
Reach a low
To fall to the lowest point.
- Unemployment reached a low of 3% in 2019.
Percentage point
A unit for the difference between two percentages.
- The rate rose by five percentage points, from 20% to 25%.
Projected
Expected to happen in the future, based on current figures.
- The figure is projected to rise to 40% by 2030.
Level off
To stop rising or falling and stay at the same level.
- After 2010, the number of users began to level off.
Using These Words in IELTS Writing
These words are for Academic Writing Task 1, where you describe a chart, graph, or table. Use a different verb or phrase for each trend, and support every description with a figure from the chart.
- Vary your language. If the first trend “increased”, describe the next one as “rose steadily” or “soared”.
- Be precise. Words such as marginally, significantly, and approximately show how big a change is.
- Compare, don’t just list. Phrases such as in comparison with and respectively help you group the data.
See the language in full model answers in our guides to the IELTS line graph, bar chart, pie chart, and mixed charts.
Using These Words in IELTS Speaking Part 3
Lexical Resource also counts for a quarter of your Speaking band. Part 3 is where these words fit best: the examiner asks abstract questions about society, causes, and the future, and a precise topic word shows the range that band 7 and above require. In Part 1, everyday words usually sound more natural.
- Use the word in your own sentence. Memorised phrases are easy for examiners to spot.
- Keep the tone conversational. Mix academic words with natural spoken phrases such as “I’d say” and “on top of that”.
- Support every word with an example. A topic word followed by a real example is what develops a Part 3 answer.
Sample Part 3 answer
Well, family size has declined quite significantly. In my grandparents’ time, families with five or six children were common, but today the majority of couples have only one or two. I read that the birth rate reached a low a few years ago, and it’s projected to fall even further, mainly because raising children has become so expensive.
The words in bold are from this page. Notice that each one is part of a natural spoken sentence, followed by a reason or an example.
Practise using these words in a real IELTS Speaking Part 3 answer:
For more questions and the answer patterns that fit them, see our IELTS Speaking Part 3 questions.
More IELTS Academic Vocabulary
Each page has 30 words with examples. For the six core words of every topic on one page, see our IELTS academic vocabulary list.
Education Environment Technology Health Work and the Economy Society and Government Culture and Globalisation Presenting an Argument Cause and Effect
Frequently Asked Questions
helpWhat vocabulary do I need for IELTS Academic Writing Task 1?expand_moreexpand_less
Learn verbs and nouns for trends, such as fluctuate, plummet, peak, and level off, and words for comparing figures, such as the majority, respectively, and in comparison with. They help you avoid repeating increase and decrease.
helpCan I use data vocabulary in IELTS Speaking?expand_moreexpand_less
Yes, in Part 3 questions about change, such as how families or cities have changed. Words such as declined significantly and projected help you describe changes precisely.
helpHow do I remember describing data vocabulary for IELTS?expand_moreexpand_less
Learn each word with an example sentence and the words it is usually used with, review the list a few times a week, and use three or four of the words in every practice essay and Speaking Part 3 answer until they feel natural.